Tottenham make transfer decision on £22m flop Emerson Royal after ‘training ground bust-up’

Tottenham are willing to sell £22million right-back Emerson Royal after a training ground bust-up, according to Football Insider.

Emerson joined the Premier League club from Barcelona in 2021.

The 23-year-old played 44 times across all competitions last season as Tottenham finished fourth ahead of arch-rivals Arsenal.

He looked pretty suspect defensively at times in 2021-22, even under a brilliant defensive head coach in Antonio Conte.

And this term has been no different. Despite the signing of Djed Spence, the Brazilian has been a consistent starter.

Matt Doherty and Emerson have been favoured ahead of the young wing-back, who was signed from Middlesbrough last summer for around £10m.

Spence failed to play a single minute in Tottenham’s Champions League group stage campaign and his only Premier League appearances (3) have come off the bench in injury time.

As mentioned prior, Conte is a fan of Emerson and has made him his first-choice right-wing-back.

A CalcioMercato.it report last month stated that Conte has ‘vetoed’ the sale of Emerson despite interest from Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan.

However, Football Insider claim that Emerson had a ‘training ground bust-up’ this month and Spurs are now open to selling the former Barcelona defender.

Emerson was an unused substitute in Spurs’ 2-2 draw at Brentford on Boxing Day – the club’s first competitive fixture following the World Cup.

He apparently had a ‘training ground disagreement’ with a member of Conte’s first-team coaching staff. The club have denied this, however.

The 23-year-old may leave the club when the transfer window opens next month with the north Londoners willing to ‘listen to offers’.

This is good news for Doherty, who will likely be Conte’s first choice for the rest of the season, with the Italian obviously not a fan of Spence.

Having said that, Conte may pursue a new right-wing-back in January with Emerson now out of favour.

Spurs have been linked with Inter Milan’s Denzel Dumfries, who would be a brilliant signing, in my humble opinion.

Dumfries had a brilliant World Cup with the Netherlands and looks tailor-made for the Premier League.

Tottenham will probably be active in the winter transfer window and have been linked with another Serie A player in Adrien Rabiot.

The Juventus midfielder is out of contract at the end of the season and has also been linked with London rivals Arsenal.

Rabiot was a Manchester United target last summer and the Red Devils appear to now be out of the race.

His wage demands are expected to be hefty, especially if he leaves Juventus at the end of the season and not for a transfer fee next month.

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